Ras-I Dowling placed on Injured Reserve

[DaBruinz]

oki doki

Do a search. You'll never find a post by me claiming that Butler was better than Barwin. In fact, I was pushing for Barwin to be drafted and was soundly ridiculed for it. Again, you should have facts before you go spewing.

 

[Triumph]

And other teams can't figure out how to draft a QB or a RB, or a WR or a good D-lineman or a good LB..

People seem to forget that the draft is a not an exact science.

BTW, I seem to remember PLENTY of people excited about the Meriweather and Chung picks when they happened. Same with Butler. But, I guess revisionist history gets to take over, right?

Yeah, the Pats knew Brady would be a HOF so they waited until round 6.

The hardest position to draft in the NFL and the Pats have one of the best. Too bad the pass defense will do him in again this season unless he plays perfect and we know thats unlikely.

Meriweather was drafted as a CB and couldnt cut there and was moved to S. Chung was over hyped and has never lived up to his billing.

 

[DaBruinz]

I believe I've mentioned this before, but....

Instead of Dowling/Vereen, the Patriots could have rebuilt the WR corps by taking two of the following:

Young/Smith/Cobb

The Patriots could conceivably have been putting out an empty backfield receiving package of

Gronk
Hernandez
Welker
Cobb
Smith

Having Smith and Cobb doesn't solve the issue at CB though.. And what would RB look like right now without Vereen and Bolden?

We can play "The Pats could conceivably have been fielding" all day long. Fact is that they aren't.

I'm sure that the Pats wish that even one of Butler, Wheatley, or Wilhite would have worked out. None did. And, Dowling suffering a partial tear of his hamstring clearly doesn't help. But, as someone else pointed out, it's not like other 2nd round CBs from that draft are lighting the league up. Heck, other than Sherman, what are other CBs from that draft that were taken after the 1st round doing?

If it was an easy fix (such as getting different coaching) I'm sure that BB would have done it before now.

 

[DaBruinz]

Yeah, the Pats knew Brady would be a HOF so they waited until round 6.

The hardest position to draft in the NFL and the Pats have one of the best. Too bad the pass defense will do him in again this season unless he plays perfect and we know thats unlikely.

Meriweather was drafted as a CB and couldnt cut there and was moved to S. Chung was over hyped and has never lived up to his billing.

Meriweather was drafted as a Safety (the position he played primarily in college). The Patriots tried him at CB in hopes of his athleticism being able to help him out. They played him at CB for 1 game when they were light at CB and moved him back afterwards.

Chung was the 2nd best SS coming out of college that year. If he was over-hyped, then it was by every single scout out and wannabe draftnik out there. Fact is that class wasn't a very strong class for Safety or CB.

 

[VrabelJr]

1.) The Patriots have made it work. The Packers make it work. New Orleans makes it work. Etc...

2.)
Smith is 6'1", 204, and averages 17.4 ypc
Cobb is 5'10, 191 and averages 11.3 ypc

There's no problem there.

Did you just pull out YPC numbers on me on players that are about to reach the half way point of their 2nd season? Sample size, my friend.

 

[DaBruinz]

For those pining for Janoris Jenkins, please take a look at the comments that Bedard posted from his interview with Howard Balzer.

On the Beat: 5 questions about the Rams - Extra Points - Boston.com

[quote = Bedard]4. What's the biggest weakness on the Rams' defense you expect the Patriots to try to exploit?[/quote]

HB: "Rookie cornerback Janoris Jenkins has a tendency to guess a lot, and he has given up big plays in recent games that have turned them in the opponent’s favor. He has great skills, but ventures away from the defensive plan. Safety play is spotty and that could mean a big day for Rob Gronkowski, depending on his health."

Does anyone think that Belichick would tolerate a player going away from the defensive plan or just "guessing"? I don't.

 

[Deus Irae]

Having Smith and Cobb doesn't solve the issue at CB though.. And what would RB look like right now without Vereen and Bolden?

Vereen's done essentially nothing, and Bolden was a UDFA who could still be on the team. Having Smith and Cobb would have solved the WR problem and allowed the team to focus elsewhere.

We can play "The Pats could conceivably have been fielding" all day long. Fact is that they aren't.

Then don't play.

I'm sure that the Pats wish that even one of Butler, Wheatley, or Wilhite would have worked out. None did. And, Dowling suffering a partial tear of his hamstring clearly doesn't help. But, as someone else pointed out, it's not like other 2nd round CBs from that draft are lighting the league up. Heck, other than Sherman, what are other CBs from that draft that were taken after the 1st round doing?

I'm sure that they wish every pick they made worked out. They didn't. As for what other DBs taken in the round are doing, I wasn't talking about other DBs, so I really don't care. I didn't want the Dowling pick when it was made, and it wasn't because of other CBs. It was because of other positions of need.

If it was an easy fix (such as getting different coaching) I'm sure that BB would have done it before now.

BB makes plenty of mistakes. He has a strategy. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. He's been drafting crap for DBs for a while now, and bringing in the likes of O'Neal and Springs hasn't cut it, either.

Acting as if this is rocket science is ridiculous. The fix above would have been "easy". BB has missed on any number of players when other candidates were available, and the "hindsight" stuff doesn't apply, either, because there have been a whole lot of people here talking about the moves prior to them being made/not made.

 

[Deus Irae]

Did you just pull out YPC numbers on me on players that are about to reach the half way point of their 2nd season? Sample size, my friend.

You pulled guys with significant height, and route running, differences and said that they were the same.

I gave evidence that they aren't.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Guy is made of pure glass. Get rid of him

 

[zipster9]

Vereen's done essentially nothing, and Bolden was a UDFA who could still be on the team. Having Smith and Cobb would have solved the WR problem and allowed the team to focus elsewhere.



Then don't play.



I'm sure that they wish every pick they made worked out. They didn't. As for what other DBs taken in the round are doing, I wasn't talking about other DBs, so I really don't care. I didn't want the Dowling pick when it was made, and it wasn't because of other CBs. It was because of other positions of need.



BB makes plenty of mistakes. He has a strategy. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. He's been drafting crap for DBs for a while now, and bringing in the likes of O'Neal and Springs hasn't cut it, either.

Acting as if this is rocket science is ridiculous. The fix above would have been "easy". BB has missed on any number of players when other candidates were available, and the "hindsight" stuff doesn't apply, either, because there have been a whole lot of people here talking about the moves prior to them being made/not made.

Yes. I think the Patriots scouting team for DBs should be fired... I mean the most stupid thing is, that RasI has a HISTORY of injuries throughout his college career. Does BillB really think that the Patriots can erase this? I really frowned when he was drafted, soley because of his injury history.

So, now, 2yrs, and 2 IRs. Total waste of a pick. Really, the scouting MUST be replaced!

 

[captain insano]

Re: Ras-IR-Dowling officially on IR

I have no problem with the pick, like the Gronk pick you take an injured player at point much later than they would have gone, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

wasnt he a second rd pick? if he was its a wasted pick. if he was a 4th or 5th round pick i would agree with you.

 

[captain insano]

Thanks, in large part, to the crooked refs.. But let's get back on topic.

dont encourage him and his miami heat crap.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Ras-IR-Dowling officially on IR

Ras-IR. What a shame, he is so talented and can be great in this league. He just can't stay healthy. Next year is a make or break year, especially if we bring in more Cornerbacks.

Really bad news for Ras-I. Looks like he is a bust. Not really his fault but he can't stay healthy.

 

[Avenger]

Re: Ras-IR-Dowling officially on IR

wasnt he a second rd pick? if he was its a wasted pick. if he was a 4th or 5th round pick i would agree with you.

Gronk and Dowling were both 2nd round picks that had missed significant time, Gronk didn't even play in the 2009 season, he was out the entire year before we drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft. Gronkowski's injury situation was actually worse.

We call BB a genius for drafting Gronk and an idiot for drafting Dowling, two players in pretty much the exact same situation. The difference is that one pick worked out the other didn't. Both picks were gambles, that's the nature of the beast.

 

[VrabelJr]

Re: Ras-IR-Dowling officially on IR

Gronk and Dowling were both 2nd round picks that had missed significant time, Gronk didn't even play in the 2009 season, he was out the entire year before we drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft. Gronkowski's injury situation was actually worse.

We call BB a genius for drafting Gronk and an idiot for drafting Dowling, two players in pretty much the exact same situation. The difference is that one pick worked out the other didn't. Both picks were gambles, that's the nature of the beast.

Thing with Ras I is even when he was healthy he rarely played full games in college.

 

[neuronet]

I remember when we drafted him, so many of us were like "Huh, isn't he made of glass?" And then a gang of crows came in calling us Chicken Littles.

Crows, time to be cannibals. This kid is a bust.

Cut him fast, and spend all the picks we have on a secondary. Get a new D coordinator, secondary coach, and go from there.

 

[mgteich]

I suspect that you said the same about Gronskowski.

I remember when we drafted him, so many of us were like "Huh, isn't he made of glass?" And then a gang of crows came in calling us Chicken Littles.

Crows, time to be cannibals.

 

[Avenger]

Re: Ras-IR-Dowling officially on IR

McCourty isn't good. No one respects McCourty. He may lead the team in pass deflections but (and im taking a wild guess here) he's probably been the most targeted CB.

I believe he has 2 INTs, 1 more than anyone else.

He makes a great play, and then completely blows the next one...trouble is the plays he ******s up are KILLER...like a PI in the endzone or a PI with not a lot of time remaining. Just because BB himself endorses McCourty doesn't mean he actually thinks he's good, it's just belichick being belichick...

he's probably the least targeted CB when you account for time on field, Arrington was targeted much more, Moore is targeted more when he is on the field, Dennard might be the only one targeted less.

 

[TomPatriot]

I remember when we drafted him, so many of us were like "Huh, isn't he made of glass?" And then a gang of crows came in calling us Chicken Littles.

Crows, time to be cannibals. This kid is a bust.

Cut him fast, and spend all the picks we have on a secondary. Get a new D coordinator, secondary coach, and go from there.

This post is funny: "the sky is falling, the sky is falling!"

 

[alvinnf]

Made of glass.